Chapter 18 - The concrete trap
The world violently flipped upside down in a terrifying blur of shattered glass and crushing metal. Our rusted sedan slammed heavily against a concrete bridge pillar, completely crushing the engine block. I gasped for air, my entire body screaming in absolute agony. I turned my head wildly, desperate to find my daughter. "Lila!" I coughed, tasting thick copper blood in my mouth. She was hanging upside down in her seatbelt, bruised and terrified, but remarkably entirely conscious. Julian was completely unconscious in the driver’s seat, a massive gash bleeding profusely on his forehead. I kicked my jammed door open with both feet, dragging myself out into the cold street. I immediately reached back in, unbuckling Lila and pulling her to safety. Just as I grabbed the encrypted tablet from the floorboards, the heavy steel doors of the armored truck swung open.
Dozens of heavily armed mercenaries poured out onto the street, completely surrounding us in a matter of seconds. And then, the crowd of armed men slowly parted. A tall, impeccably dressed older man walked forward, leaning heavily on a silver-tipped cane. His face was gaunt and pale, ravaged by his terminal illness, but his dark, calculating eyes were exactly the same as mine. It was Victor Sterling. My biological father. The absolute monster who had hunted us across the country. "Hello, Rowan," Victor said, his voice a raspy, terrifying whisper. "You have caused me a tremendous amount of unnecessary trouble." I pushed Lila firmly behind my back, gripping the digital tablet tightly against my chest. "You are never going to touch her," I snarled, completely ready to tear his throat out with my bare hands. Victor chuckled softly, a wet, sickly sound. "I do not wish to hurt my brilliant granddaughter," he lied effortlessly. "I merely require a small donation of her bone marrow to secure the future of our family bloodline. Hand over the ledger, Rowan, and I promise you will both live very comfortable lives under my protection." I looked around at the dozen laser sights pointed directly at our chests. We were entirely cornered, outgunned, and out of time.
